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In a late night announcement, US House Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), co-founders of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, issued a press release announcing a decision to remove from consideration an amendment which would prevent funding to the Department of Justice for prosecution of state-legal medical cannabis operators and consumers, and which has passed the last three years with increasing approval from legislators around the country:

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, today condemned the decision by House Rules Committee leadership to block their amendment that prevents the Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. Because of this decision, Rohrabacher and Blumenauer will not be able to offer their amendment when the House considers Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 funding legislation this week. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the amendment language in July. The amendment has been included in every annual appropriations law since 2014.

Blumenauer and Rohrabacher released the following statement:

“By blocking our amendment, Committee leadership is putting at risk the millions of patients who rely on medical marijuana for treatment, as well as the clinics and businesses that support them. This decision goes against the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly oppose federal interference with state marijuana laws. These critical protections are supported by a majority of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. There’s no question: If a vote were allowed, our amendment would pass on the House floor, as it has several times before.

“Our fight to protect medical marijuana patients is far from over. The marijuana reform movement is large and growing. This bad decision by the House Rules Committee is an affront to the 46 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized use and distribution of some form of medical marijuana. These programs serve millions of Americans. This setback, however, is not the final word. As House and Senate leadership negotiate a long-term funding bill, we will fight to maintain current protections.”

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Cannabis is the most popular political issue of the day, and the people want to take this market back from criminals. I believe that more than anything other issue in modern times, cannabis really is the ultimate uniter. The only reason “they” haven’t legalized cannabis is because “they” is actually “us”.

Amber Iris Langston is a well-known and long-spoken advocate for cannabis and drug policy reform. She has grown from her roots in rural southern Missouri to positively impact social justice across the country, working to change local and state cannabis laws in places where she has lived including California, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon and Washington, DC.